WoundStat Inventors Recognized for Their Outstanding Medical Research Contributions to Combat Casualty Care

BETHESDA, Md. (EMWNews) August 13, 2008 —

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) researchers Kevin Ward, MD,

Robert Diegelmann, PhD, and Gary Bowlin, PhD, this week received the

Award for Excellence in recognition of their outstanding contributions

to combat casualty care from the US

Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Combat

Casualty Care Research Program. The three invented WoundStat™,

a ground-breaking hemostatic agent for control of bleeding in

high-pressure arterial wounds, which are a common combat injury. The

award was given to the group “in recognition

of their hemorrhage control research, and the resultant development of WoundStat,

a product that will significantly increase survival of the combat

wounded.”

The award was given at the Advanced

Technology Applications for Combat Casualty Care (ATACCC) 2008 Conference,

and this is one of the few times the award has been given to someone who

was not a member of the military.

“I’m gratified, and I’m proud of the award,”

said Dr. Ward. “Our team did great work in

inventing WoundStat. It is rewarding knowing that your work can help

save lives of warfighters and other trauma victims, and it is great to

be recognized as well.”

After years of research, Ward, Diegelmann, and Bowlin developed a

versatile and robust hemostatic material that is specifically suited to

treat the tremendously complex wounds of war under very demanding

environmental conditions. WoundStat is both very absorbent and adherent,

which helps to quickly stop the bleeding while simultaneously

facilitating clotting.

The patent-pending technology behind WoundStat is the result of more

than three years of medical research and development by VCURES.

The university center not only conducts research on life-saving

technologies, it plays a key role in training Special Operation Combat

Medics in the U.S. military.

“We are proud of these gentlemen —

not only for their scientific and medical expertise, but also for their

dedication to our collective mission of advancing combat casualty care.

WoundStat is now being deployed within the US military and has the

potential to dramatically increase the survival rate of warfighters with

severe, bleeding injuries,” commented Devinder

Bawa, CEO of TraumaCure, which

manufactures and markets WoundStat. “Our

partnership with VCU and these dedicated scientists has been

tremendously productive.”

Four different medical research studies – including the one conducted

by the U.S. Army’s Institute for Surgical Research (ISR) – have

consistently proven that WoundStat is the most effective hemostat

available for high pressure arterial wounds.

About VCU and the VCU Medical Center

Virginia Commonwealth University is

the largest university in Virginia and ranks among the top 100

universities in the country in sponsored research. Located on two

downtown campuses in Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 30,000 students in

nearly 200 certificate and degree programs in the arts, sciences and

humanities. Sixty-three of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of

them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 15 schools and one college. MCV

Hospitals and the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth

University compose the VCU Medical Center, one of the nation’s leading

academic medical centers. For more, see www.vcu.edu.

About TraumaCure

TraumaCure, based in Bethesda,

Maryland, supplies the most effective, reliable treatments for

life-threatening bleeding wounds. TraumaCure’s hemostatic products help

stabilize a wounded individual prior to receiving advanced medical

treatment. The company’s products are made in the U.S. and are proven to

save lives and improve outcomes following traumatic injury. TraumaCure

is committed to providing the most trustworthy and innovative hemostasis

treatments for the military, emergency responders, and civilians.

Release Summary:

Kevin Ward, Robert Diegelmann, and Gary Bowlin this week received an

Award for Excellence for their hemorrhage control research and the

development of WoundStat, a hemostatic agent that will significantly

increase survival of the combat wounded.

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